Indigenous Australian Subjects and Content in CSU Courses
CSU Reconciliation Statement
RECONCILIATION STATEMENT
There can be no reconciliation without social justice and there can be no social justice without reconciliation
(Mick Dodson, National Reconciliation Convention, Melbourne 1997)
As sites of critical learning, universities are powerful agents for social change and have a responsibility to provide an environment free from racism in all of its forms
(Wright, J 2002, Apartheid: Australian Style)
RECOGNITION, ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT
Charles Sturt University is committed to the process of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. As Australia's leading national university of inland Australia, it recognises the particular role and responsibility this tertiary educational institution has in promoting social justice and human rights for Indigenous Australians, both nationally and within the footprint of Charles Sturt University.
Charles Sturt University recognises and acknowledges:
- the diversity and unique position of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of Australia and the islands of the Torres Strait, in accordance with local Indigenous laws and customs
- that connection to the land sustains contemporary Indigenous cultures, languages, art, spirituality, laws and customs
- the historical and ongoing impact on the lives and futures of Indigenous Australians of the political, social and economic process of colonisation
- the fundamental importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to the heritage and identity of Australia, and the valuable and dynamic contribution of Indigenous people and cultures to the community and life of the University
- the human right of Indigenous Australian peoples to self-determination, to equitable participation in the community and the University and equitable access to resources and services
- the significance of the University's role in the reconciliation process in building an informed and mature society that acknowledges the past, understands the quintessential connection between the past and present, and is committed to ethical action, social justice and human rights
- that reconciliation in practice is a shared responsibility requiring commitment to a whole-of-institution approach and active engagement with the Indigenous community
This statement of reconciliation was adopted by University Council on Friday, 7 December, 2007.
CSU Ethos
The ethos of Charles Sturt University (the University) is clearly described by the Wiradjuri phrase 'yindyamarra winhanga-nha' - 'The wisdom of respectfully knowing how to live well in a world worth living in'. If our graduates are to embrace this ethos in their personal and professional lives they need: understandings of their cultural and historical standpoints, skills and attributes of Indigenous cultural competency, professional skills specific to their disciplines which can be derived from high quality, culturally inclusive, professional education.
Charles Sturt University has a strong policy framework governing school and faculty responsibility for the inclusion of Indigenous Australian content and subjects in all courses.
Indigenous Board of Studies (IBS)
The Indigenous Board of Studies (IBS) is a sub-committee of the university’s Curriculum, Learning and Teaching Committee and is chaired by Associate Professor Jay Phillips. Board members include representatives from all three Faculties of Charles Sturt University and the Division of Learning and Teaching.
All IBS documents can be found on the Office of Governance website. This includes previous agendas and minutes, Committee Membership and Terms of Reference, meeting schedules, and submission guidelines and template. An Incorporating Indigenous Australian Content: Workflow Diagram has been developed to assist with understanding the approval process of the Indigenous Board of Studies.
The Board monitors the implementation of the Indigenous Australian content in CSU Courses policy through quality assurance and approval of all Indigenous Australian subjects and content that align with the following policy classifications:
Indigenous Australian Studies
Content that is developed and taught by the School of Indigenous Australian Studies
Subjects in this this category hold an IKC subject code, for example:
Discipline-specific Indigenous Australian Studies
Subjects and/or content in courses developed and taught by other Schools across the three faculties of CSU. There are three sub-categories for this classification:
- Stand-alone subject that includes Indigenous Australian content in every topic/module/assessment task;
- A module with three to four assessable Indigenous Australian content topics; and/or;
- Integrated and assessable Indigenous Australian content throughout a course.
Subjects approved under this classification include:
- PSY320 Balgargal: Indigenous Cultural Immersion Experience
- WEL429 Indigenous Australian Practice for Human Services Workers
Hybrid Indigenous Australian Studies
Subjects that are co-developed and co-taught by the School of Indigenous Australian Studies and the convening discipline School. Indigenous Australian content is incorporated into every topic/module/ assessment task.
Subjects that have been approved with this classification include:
- PHS403 Rural and Remote Physiotherapy
- JST123 Indigenous Australians and Justice: An Introduction
- EEB435 Indigenous Australian Studies for Teachers
Recommended link for other policy and guidelines for Indigenous Australian studies curriculum at CSU
Gulaay - the Indigenous Australian Curriculum & Resources Team